Little Green Heron

Golden time in the Everglades. It’s that time of day when the sun is setting, it’s getting a little cooler, and all the birds are finishing their meals. Usually after a good meal the birds find a nice watering hole for a quick drink and a splash before going to bed. These Little Green Herons have an interesting bathing ritual made up of several short bathing bursts between which they will either hunker down to stay hidden or fluff up and start to dry.

After a long day of 4 wheeling through the back roads of Florida Everglades, sugar cane fields and taking a lot of pictures I was getting a little tired. As I was pulling out of the parking lot of the camp ground area where I had just been shooting I noticed a dark long necked streak emerge from the bush and step into a nearby pool. For a moment I thought it was the American Bittern, a very elusive bird to capture on camera. Quickly I saw the coloring and realized that I may have an opportunity to get some exciting photos.

With the blazing orange sun sinking behind the bird the new Canon flash with the Fresnel “beamer” would become the tool that allowed this shot to be as beautiful as it is. Ever since I started taking serious wildlife shots I’ve run into many photographers with big camera rigs which almost always includes a big flash with a “beamer” extension. I used to laugh at those photographers for thinking that their cheep looking plastic gizmo with the little Fresnel on the front would have any impact overcoming the effects of the sun when shooting wildlife. Over the years I’ve shot at least 15,000 wildlife pictures without the need of a flash, and I’ve gotten pretty good results. I just one day, one outing, seeing the results of the flash with the extender has caused me to ask the question, “where have you been all my life?”